For training purposes, military recruits are commonly provided with a firearm along with dummy cartridges to acquaint the recruits with the firearm and handling ammunition. In some examples, the dummy cartridges are solid or hollow projectile-shaped objects that have dimensions that are substantially similar to live ammunition. However, the dummy cartridges are not ignitable or dischargeable through a firearm. The dummy cartridges enable recruits to learn safe weapons handling by repeating the exercises learned during training in their living quarters. In time, these recruits receive further training in the use of other infantry weapons (e.g., pistols, submachine guns, machine guns, flare guns, etc.) in which dummy cartridges are not used. Specifically, recruits perform training exercises without cartridges in practice rooms and, later, the recruits perform training exercises with blank cartridges in training areas such as, for example, the U.S. Army Garrison Training Area.
In recent years, self-loading grenade launchers have been adopted by many armies and have proven useful in further equipping armored personnel carriers and helicopters. Additionally, self-loading grenade launchers can be advantageously utilized by infantries for engaging medium range targets and to enable soldiers to move freely within the area of interaction. Self-loading grenade launchers fire explosive ammunition that has similar effects to a hand grenade, but, in contrast, explosive ammunition from the self-loading grenade launcher has an effective distance of approximately 1500 meters.
A known self-loading grenade launcher, a patent for which is assigned to the assignee of the present patent, includes a blow-back mechanism and utilizes belted ammunition. Specifically, a belt link remains on the cartridge or its casing during firing and both the belt link and the casing are ejected from the firearm together. Additionally, during firing, because the muzzle energy of such firearms is relatively high and the breech block is actuated relatively effortlessly, the cartridge is ignited once the cartridge is introduced into the cartridge chamber while the breech block is in a counter-recoil. After the cartridge is ignited, energy toward the rear of the firearm from the ignition substantially stops the movement of the breech block before the breech block engages a stop on the barrel or firearm. After the breech block stops, the breech block begins to recoil.
Firearms, such as self-loading grenade launchers are typically not utilized during basic training because such firearms have a relatively narrow target range, which requires a longer training period to become proficient. Additionally, self-loading grenade launchers and training exercises on vehicles and/or helicopters are relatively expensive. Further, the area in which exercises may be performed with vehicles and blank ammunition is somewhat limited because of the noise generated from the vehicles and from firing the blank ammunition and the size area required to perform such exercises. As a result, training exercises within the classroom are maximized by utilizing dummy ammunition that enables the recruits to practice loading the firearm, pulling the firearm's trigger and unjamming the firearm. However, dummy ammunition utilized with standard barrels has a relatively short useful life. Specifically, when using a dummy cartridge, the momentum of the breach block of the firearm is not reduced because the dummy cartridge does not ignite and does not produce energy from ignition toward the rear of the firearm to oppose the counter-recoil of the breech block and, thus, the breech impacts the practice cartridge and/or the barrel. Over time, these impacts damage the practice cartridges.